22.4.23 – Yr Wyddfa

Bright Hike, Bright Hike – 

Hello my little lightbulbs!

How are you doing?

I hope that you’re savouring the end of summer and have plenty of warm and happy memories to reflect on. Were you able to soak up some extra Vitamin D and enjoy the flavours that marry well with this season?

My summer has been… slower than usual; full of reflection and confrontation with myself. I’ve been working on taking accountability for my own negative behaviours, as it’s always easy to highlight the damage that other people do; but it’s trickier to recognise that how you continue to react to that damage is on… well… yourself. Being a generous self-scooper of guilting, I’ve found it hard to balance accountability and guilt. One thing goes wrong, or I prioritise myself, and BOOM I am Lucifer incarnate descending from heaven with all of the multi-eyed fallen angels in tow.

One method to locate this balance as well as to self-love, build resilience, and harness gratitude has been hiking! This hobby has continued to grow in importance for me, ever since starting it seriously in 2018. It ties in fitness, my love of nature, wellness, and (if I can get loved ones to come along) a little bit of socialising!

As we head into what John Keats would call ‘the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness’, I wanted to reflect on some of the hikes I’ve done in Spring/ Summer and what I’ve learned from them.

Spring / Summer Walks 2023:

• The Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
• Wicklow Mountains, Ireland
• Aber Falls, Wales
• The Devil’s Kitchen, Wales
• Wast Water, The Lake District
• Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon, Wales
• The Singing Ringing Tree, England
• Cray Gill Waterfall, England
• Helsby Hill, England
• Kelburn Castle and Estate, Scotland
• Rothesay and Mount Stuart Estate, Scotland
• Cat o Bells, The Lake District
• Hull Pot, The Yorkshire Dales
• Ingleborough, The Yorkshire Dales
• Frodsham Hill, England
• Pen Y Fan, Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons
• Blea Rigg to Stickle Tarn, Langdale Pikes, The Lake District

We’ve chatted already about my adventures in Ireland, and so I wanted to recount my experience of Yr Wyddfa (formerly recognised as Mt Snowdon) with you. This mountain is one of the Three Peaks. It’s the tallest mountain in Wales at 3,560ft (1,085m) and I’d been wanting to climb it for a very long time.

After an unsuccessful, but rewarding, attempt earlier in the year, I had to try it again. This first attempt was altered by bad weather, a rough camping spot an a collapsed tent which led to a change of plan, and instead we walked the Devil’s Kitchen (a walk that I would highly recommend).

So, in April of this year, I regathered the troops (with an extra member this time) and was determined to get it done. On 21st April, my walking companions and I were sat in a hot tub in our AirBnB, discussing the path and time we should set out for the hike. A nice evening soon passed and we were up early the next morning, heading for the Llanberis path.

I was feeling quite confident at the start of the walk – I’d had a good sleep and had made sure to pack plenty of snacks and water. This confidence wavered slightly about 10 minutes in, as the route became ridiculously and unexpectedly steep as we hadn’t even reached the trail head! It was a definite pulse-raiser. We were gasping for breath when we reached the actual start of the walk, made some jokes about turning around, and then pressed on. After that it was a smooth walk for some time.

The path was quite rocky so I was glad to be wearing my walking boots. Light clouds were overhead but it was dry, which was all I cared about.

There was a small hut aptly named the Halfway House, which sold drinks and snacks. We stopped outside there for a little break. Not too far up from there is a station for the mountain train. It’s a great option if you want to enjoy the views but would struggle with the walk. Just be sure to check the timetable, the train stops running during off season.

During the incline, I spent some of the walk chatting, other times encouraging, and others in quiet – focusing on my breathing, putting one foot in front of the other. The beautiful thing about longer walks is that these activities transition pretty organically. Your attention zooms into wherever your mind takes it: the sounds of nature, long-standing issues, your friend’s lives, how your body is feeling, what you plan to eat when you get down, etc.

After a long walk, we finally made it to the peak!

It was a lot cooler at the top and very eerie. The mist created a Silent Hill environment which was quite fun to walk through. My mind quickly drifted to zombie apocalypse and I immediately asked the group what they would do if they heard a zombie. Answers ranged from run back down the mountain to let them eat me, I’m too tired to do anything else.

Unfortunately, the summit of the mountain gave me peak disappointment. From the thick mists emerged something resembling the zombie hoard I’d been visualising. But this mob were very much alive, if not a little tired from the climb, and stood in a very long line to the top. Queueing at the top of a mountain – how very British indeed – it felt like a deleted scene from Shaun of the Dead. 

Despite it clashing with everything I enjoy about hiking, we stood in line. We didn’t come this far to stop 10m from the actual summit. While most people waited, there were some who refused and freestyled their way to the top which added another damper onto this awesome achievement. So much for mutual respect and camaraderie. 

We finally got to the summit, found a place to sit and rested for a little bit before beginning the descent. As a strong lover of circular walks, I didn’t find this as fun as the ascent but it was good to see the scenery from another perspective. While my glutes and shins were aching on the way up, it was time for my knees, toes and calves to pull their weight.

We got down at around 3.30pm, for a total walking time of 6 hours, and beelined for the closest restaurant. While we sat and let our accomplishments sink in, I thanked my body for getting me up and down in one piece, and with relative ease. This reflection continued in the hot tub later on (I would definitely recommend booking accommodation with this facility if you’re planning a long walk).

While soaking in the warm water, listening to rain patter on plastic roof of the greenhouse – I reminisced on the walk. I was filled with relief and pride that I had done it. I was also reflective on how I’d felt after my first attempt to climb and how badly I’d felt about not doing it. Ironically, I enjoyed the first walk more than Yr Wyddfa! It was a great lesson about all or nothing thinking, and the value of an unexpected change to the plan. 

“It’s never the changes we want that changes everything.”

– Junot Díaz from The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

While the views, company, and the experience of a longer walk were great – I don’t think I’ll be returning to this mountain any time soon. If I do, it will be much earlier and along a different route. 

Have you climbed this mountain? If so, what was your experience? Alternatively, are there any hikes that you would recommend I try – I’d love to hear from you!

Stay Positive.

Love,

Jess